Open-end spinning devices

ABSTRACT

An open end spinning device comprising a spinning rotor having a spinning chamber provided with an internal fiber collecting surface to which fibers in discrete form are fed through a fiber feed passage and from which they are removed to form a twisted yarn which is continuously withdrawn from the spinning chamber through a yarn delivery passage. The rotor has at one end thereof closure means formed with a cylindrical or generally cylindrical penetrating portion which penetrates into the chamber of the spinning rotor in concentric relation to the spinning axis of the rotor and through which the fiber feed passage and the yarn delivery passage pass. The yarn delivery passage passes through the penetrating portion and opens into the end face of the penetrating portion, and the fiber feed passages passes through the penetrating portion and opens into a recess formed in the penetrating portion at such a position that fibers from the end of the fiber feed passage are directed to the fiber collecting surface of the spinning rotor, the recess being so formed as not to extend around the whole of the circumference of the penetrating portion.

United States Patent Shepherd [451 Mar. 28, 1972 [54] OPEN-END SPINNINGDEVICES John M. Shepherd, Ramsbottom, England T.M.M. (Research) Limited,Oldham, Lancashire, England 221 Filed: Apr. 9, 1970 211 Appl.No.: 26,876

[72] Inventor:

[73] Assignee:

Schiltknecht et a1. ..57/58.89 Schiltknecht ..57/58.95

[57] ABSTRACT An open end spinning device comprising a spinning rotorhaving a spinning chamber provided with an internal fiber collectingsurface to which fibers in discrete form are fed through a fiber feedpassage and from which they are removed to form a twisted yarn which iscontinuously withdrawn from the spinning chamber through a yarn deliverypassage. The rotor has at one end thereof closure means formed with acylindrical or generally cylindrical penetrating portion whichpenetrates into the chamber of the spinning rotor in concentric relationto the spinning axis of the rotor and through which the fiber feedpassage and the yarn delivery passage pass. The yarn delivery passagepasses through the penetrating portion and opens into the end face ofthe penetrating portion, and the fiber feed passages passes through thepenetrating portion and opens into a recess formed in the penetratingportion at such a position that fibers from the end of the fiber feedpassage are directed to the fiber collecting surface of the spinningrotor, the recess being so formed as not to extend around the whole ofthe circumference of the penetrating portion.

20 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented March 28, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Patented March 28, 1972 3,651,632

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

/ mMn/ OPEN-END SPINNING DEVICES The present invention relates to openend spinning devices of the kind in which fibers in discrete form arefed to an internal fiber collecting surface of a spinning rotor througha fiber feed duct and continuously removed from the fiber collectingsurface to form a twisted yarn which is withdrawn from the spinningrotor through a yarn delivery duct. I

An open end spinning device of the kind specified has hitherto beenproposed in which the spinning rotor is closed at one end and open endat the other end, the open end being closed during normal operation by aclosure member through which pass a fiber feed tube and an axiallyextending yarn delivery tube. In the hitherto proposed arrangement, theyarn delivery tube is provided with an extended or flared yarn inlet endwhich projects below the underside of the closure member and it has beenfound that yarn or fibers tend to wrap around the inlet end, makingcleaning of the spinning rotor and closure member difficult followingend breakage.

According to the present invention, there is provided an open endspinning device comprising a spinning rotor having a spinning chamberprovided with an internal fiber collecting surface to which fibers indiscrete form are fed through a fiber feed passage and from which theyare removed to form a twisted yarn which leaves the spinning chamberthrough a yarn delivery passage, the rotor having at one end thereof endclosure means formed with a cylindrical or generally cylindricalpenetrating portion which penetrates into the chamber of the spinningrotor and through which the fiber feed passage and the yarn deliverypassage pass, said yarn delivery passage passing through the penetratingportion and terminating in an open end at the end face of thepenetrating portion, and the fiber feed passage including and openinginto a recess formed in the penetrating portion at such a position thatfibers transported through said passage are directed to the fibercollecting surface of the spinning rotor.

Three embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way ofexample, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional side elevation of an open end spinning deviceaccording to a first embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a section of the device shown in FIG. 1, taken on the linell-II in FIG. 1 and viewed in the direction indicated in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a sectional side elevation of a part of an open end spinningdevice according to a second embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 4 is a sectional side elevation of part of an open end spinningdevice according to a third embodiment of the invention.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the open end spinning deviceillustrated comprises a spinning rotor 11 fixedly mounted on one end ofa shaft 12 rotatably supported within a bearing housing 13. The drivefor the spinning rotor 11 is obtained from a driving belt (not shown)which makes frictional contact with a pulley (not shown) mounted on theother end of the shaft 12. The spinning rotor 11 is formed with aspinning chamber 14 having a circumferential fiber collecting groove 15and is contained in a housing 16 which is closed by a closure member 17hingedly attached to the housing 16 by a hinge pin 18 carried by anextension of the housing 16. The closure member 17 is formed with adepending cylindrical portion 19 which in the closed position of theclosure member 17 extends into the spinning chamber 14 of the spinningrotor 11 and in concentric relation to the axis of the spinning rotor.The cylindrical portion 19 is provided with an axial bore 20 in which isfitted a yarn delivery tube 21, which terminates in the chamber 14 in anend flange 22, one end face of which abuts against the end face of thecylindrical portion 19 the other end face of which is formed with aperipheral wall 23 extending just below the level of the fibercollecting groove 15 of the spinning rotor 11. The closure member 17 isformed with an extension 24 provided with a tapered bore within which isfitted a fiber feed tube 25 which extends to the end face 26 of thecylindrical projection 19 and which opens into a recess 27 formed in theend flange 22 of the yarn delivery tube 21. The rotor housing 16 isformed with an outlet duct 28 which is connected by a tube 29 to asource of suction not shown.

As will be seen from FIG. 2, the recess 27 cut in the end flange 22 ofthe delivery tube 21 is in the form of a segment, the bounding chordface of which lies at an angle a to the axis of the suction duct 28. Itwill be seen that the axis of the fiber feed tube 25 lies in a planeparallel to the plane containing the axis of the suction duct 28 and ithas been found that good results are achieved if the angle a is equal toor approximately equal to 19.

In operation, suction is applied to the interior of the rotor housing 16by connecting the suction tube 29 to the source of suction, and fibersfrom a supply (not shown) are drawn through the fiber feed tube 25 in anairstream derived from the suction developed in the housing 16. Thefibers pass in discrete form down the tube 25 into the recess 27 fromwhich they are directed on to the wall of the spinning chamber 14 anddeposited as a ring of fibers in the fiber collecting groove 15.Following the introduction of a seed yarn into the spinning chamber 14through the yarn delivery duct 21, the fibers in the groove 15 arepicked up and formed into a twisted yarn 30 which is continuouslywithdrawn through the yarn delivery tube 21 and wound on a package (notshown) in conventional manner.

When it is desired to clear the spinning chamber 14 of fibers containedtherein, for example upon an end breakage of yarn, the spinning rotor l1 is brought to rest whilst maintaining suction conditions within therotor housing 11. As a result, fibers contained within the spinningchamber 14 are drawn out of the chamber through the open end between therotor and the cylindrical portion 19 and clearing of the chamber iseffected in this way without removing the closure member 17. Because ofthe generally cylindrical surface provided by the portion 19 and the endflange 22, the fibers in the spinning chamber are unimpeded and readilyremoved simply by the suction applied to the housing 16. The part of thecylindrical surface of the portion 19 and end flange 22 which isdiametrically opposite the suction duct 28 should be smooth and therecess 27 should not therefore extend into that sector of the surfacebounded by the angle [3.

By so arranging that the end face of the flange 22 of the yarn Idelivery tube 21 lies below the level of the fiber collecting groove 15the spun yarn 30 is caused to follow a deflected path from the groove 15to the inlet end of the yarn delivery tube 21. This has been found toresult in improved control of the yarn and of false twist insertion.

The recess 27 may be of any desired shape, but is preferably of theshape shown in FIG. 2 with its side face 31 at an angle of approximately19 to the axis of the fiber feed tube 25 and suction duct 28.

The yarn delivery tube 21 is preferably of such a fit within the axialbore 20 that it can be turned to provide for an adjustment of the anglea and a clamping collar 32 is provided for securing the tube in theposition to which it has been adjusted.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3, a closuremember 171 is provided with a yarn delivery tube 211 which is formedwith a shallow end flange 221 and a recess 271 is cut in a dependingportion 191 of the closure member 171. The other parts of the deviceshown in FIG. 3 are as illus trated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4, a closuremember 172 is provided with a yarn delivery tube 212 which has noflange. A projecting portion 192 of the closure member 172 is formedwith a recess 272 into which the fiber feed tube 25 opens and aperipheral wall portion 232 is provided on the end face of the portion192. The other parts of the device shown in FIG. 4 are as illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2.

Each of the embodiments hereinbefore described with reference to thedrawings has the advantage that it is substantially self-cleaning simplyby the application of suction and without the need for removing theclosure member.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An open end spinning device comprising a spinning rotor having aspinning chamber provided with an internal fiber col lecting surface towhich fibers in discrete form are fed through a fiber feed passage andfrom which they are removed to form a twisted yarn which is continuouslywithdrawn from the spinning chamber through a yarn delivery passage, therotor having at one end thereof closure means formed with a cylindricalor generally cylindrical penetrating portion which penetrates into thechamber of the spinning rotor in concentric relation to the spinningaxis of the rotor and through which the fiber feed passage and the yarndelivery passage pass, said yarn delivery passage passing through thepenetrating portion and opening into the end face of the penetratingportion, and the fiber feed passage passing through the penetratingportion and opening into a recess formed in the penetrating portion atsuch a position that fibers from the end of the fiber feed passage aredirected to the fiber collecting surface of the spinning rotor, saidrecess being formed to extend around less than the whole of thecircumference of the penetrating portion.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said recess is formed in theside wall of the penetrating portion.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein said recess extends into orthrough said penetrating portion in a plane at right angles to the axisof the penetrating portion.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said recess is in the form ofa segment of the directrix of said penetrating portion.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the spinning rotor is housedin a housing to which suction is applied from a suction passageextending away from the housing in a predetermined direction, andwherein said recess is so formed in the penetrating portion as not tointerrupt the part of the cylindrical surface of the penetrating portionin a predetermined region remote from the suction passage.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the axis of the suctionpassage lies in a plane passing through the rotary axis of the spinningrotor.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the axis of the fiber feedpassage lies in a plane parallel to the said plane containing the axisof the suction passage.

8. A device according to claim 5, wherein the axis of the fiber feedpassage is parallel to the axis ofthe suction passage.

9. A device according to claim 5, as appendent to claim 4,

wherein the chordal face of the recess is inclined at an angle of about19 to the plane containing the axis of the suction passage.

, 10. A device according to claim 5, wherein said closure means takesthe form of a top cover for said housing and is hingedly mounted on asupporting frame.

11. A device according to claim 5, wherein the position of the fiberfeed passage in relation to the suction passage is such that fibers aretransported to said fiber collecting surface in a direction toward thesuction passage.

12. A device according to claim 1, wherein the end face of thepenetrating portion or a part of the end face thereof lies below thelevel of the fiber collecting surface of the spinning rotor, wherebyyarn passing to the yarn delivery passage follows a deflected path.

13. A device according to claim 12, wherein the end face of thepenetrating portion is formed with a peripheral wall which extends belowthe level of the fiber collecting surface.

14. A device according to claim 1, wherein said penetrating portionincludes a cylindrical extension of a body portion of the closure meansand a yarn delivery tube which fits into an axial bore therein andterminates at the end face of the cylindrical extension.

15. A device according to any of claim 14, wherein said yarn deliverytube can be turned about its axis in the body portion of the closuremeans, thereby to provide for adjustment of the position of the recessin relation to the suction passage and the fiber feed passage.

16. A device according to claim 1 wherein said penetrating portionincludes a cylindrical extension of a body portion of the closure meansand a yarn delivery tube which passes through an axial bore therein andterminates in a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical end flangewhich abuts against the end face of the cylindrical extension of thebody portion of the closure means.

17. A device according to claim 16, wherein said recess is formed insaid end flange.

18. A device according to claim 17, wherein said recess is formed in theface of the flange abutting said extension of the body portion of theclosure means.

19. A device according to claim 17, wherein said recess is formed in theend face of the cylindrical extension of the body portion of the closuremeans.

20. A device according to claim 1, wherein said closure means isremovably mounted on a supporting frame.

1. An open-end spinning device comprising a spinning rotor having aspinning chamber provided with an internal fiber collecting surface towhich fibers in discrete form are fed through a fiber feed passage andfrom which they are removed to form a twisted yarn which is continuouslywithdrawn from the spinning chamber through a yarn delivery passage, therotor having at one end thereof closure means formed with a cylindricalor generally cylindrical penetrating portion which penetrates into thechamber of the spinning rotor in concentric relation to the spinningaxis of the rotor and through which the fiber feed passage and the yarndelivery passage pass, said yarn delivery passage passing through thepenetrating portion and opening into the end face of the penetratingportion, and the fiber feed passage passing through the penetratingportion and opening into a recess formed in the penetrating portion atsuch a position that fibers from the end of the fiber feed passage aredirected to the fiber collecting surface of the spinning rotor, saidrecess being formed to extend around less than the whole of thecircumference of the penetrating portion.
 2. A device according to claim1, wherein said recess is formed in the side wall of the penetratingportion.
 3. A device according to claim 2, wherein said recess extendsinto or through said penetrating portion in a plane at right angles tothe axis of the penetrating portion.
 4. A device according to claim 3,wherein said recess is in the form of a segment of the directrix of saidpenetrating portioN.
 5. A device according to claim 1, wherein thespinning rotor is housed in a housing to which suction is applied from asuction passage extending away from the housing in a predetermineddirection, and wherein said recess is so formed in the penetratingportion as not to interrupt the part of the cylindrical surface of thepenetrating portion in a predetermined region remote from the suctionpassage.
 6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the axis of thesuction passage lies in a plane passing through the rotary axis of thespinning rotor.
 7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the axis ofthe fiber feed passage lies in a plane parallel to the said planecontaining the axis of the suction passage.
 8. A device according toclaim 5, wherein the axis of the fiber feed passage is parallel to theaxis of the suction passage.
 9. A device according to claim 5, asappendent to claim 4, wherein the chordal face of the recess is inclinedat an angle of about 19* to the plane containing the axis of the suctionpassage.
 10. A device according to claim 5, wherein said closure meanstakes the form of a top cover for said housing and is hingedly mountedon a supporting frame.
 11. A device according to claim 5, wherein theposition of the fiber feed passage in relation to the suction passage issuch that fibers are transported to said fiber collecting surface in adirection toward the suction passage.
 12. A device according to claim 1,wherein the end face of the penetrating portion or a part of the endface thereof lies below the level of the fiber collecting surface of thespinning rotor, whereby yarn passing to the yarn delivery passagefollows a deflected path.
 13. A device according to claim 12, whereinthe end face of the penetrating portion is formed with a peripheral wallwhich extends below the level of the fiber collecting surface.
 14. Adevice according to claim 1, wherein said penetrating portion includes acylindrical extension of a body portion of the closure means and a yarndelivery tube which fits into an axial bore therein and terminates atthe end face of the cylindrical extension.
 15. A device according to anyof claim 14, wherein said yarn delivery tube can be turned about itsaxis in the body portion of the closure means, thereby to provide foradjustment of the position of the recess in relation to the suctionpassage and the fiber feed passage.
 16. A device according to claim 1wherein said penetrating portion includes a cylindrical extension of abody portion of the closure means and a yarn delivery tube which passesthrough an axial bore therein and terminates in a cylindrical orsubstantially cylindrical end flange which abuts against the end face ofthe cylindrical extension of the body portion of the closure means. 17.A device according to claim 16, wherein said recess is formed in saidend flange.
 18. A device according to claim 17, wherein said recess isformed in the face of the flange abutting said extension of the bodyportion of the closure means.
 19. A device according to claim 17,wherein said recess is formed in the end face of the cylindricalextension of the body portion of the closure means.
 20. A deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein said closure means is removably mounted ona supporting frame.